The math game that beat out Angry Birds in Norway

Dragonbox might be the new household game name soon. In Norway, a game that brings out the fun in understanding complex mathematical equations is now more popular than Angry Birds. It is also the highest selling game there as well and they accomplished that in only a week. Over 10% of all iPad users downloaded the game in its first few weeks. According to the Press Release….

“What’s the secret? DragonBox does away with tedious equations and math quizzes, replacing them instead with a simple game involving cards and a magical box. The game evolves as kids master the skills and concepts presented. After one hour of playing DragonBox, twelve-year olds can tackle equations their parents struggle to solve.”

To me, this is actually a really neat idea. The fact that game developers are changing their tactics to help better our mathematical skills is truly commendable. I’ll let the CEO of WeWantToKnow better describe everything.

“Our aim has been to make a game that is as fun as ‘Angry Birds’, as fascinating as ‘Cut the Rope’, and as addictive as ‘Temple Run’, says Jean Baptiste Huyhn, Co-founder and CEO of WeWantToKnow. “As they’re playing, they begin to understand the simple concepts that underlie all equations. Having tested this with several hundred kids in the age of six to 18, this method has proved to work. After one hour of playing the game, more than 30 % were able to solve equations, and after two hours of playing the game between 60 and 80 % were able to solve equations.”

Mr. Huyhn continues: “I worked as a math teacher for several years, and have seen how many young kids struggle with math. It’s easy for students to lose motivation and give up. They become convinced that math is too difficult for them. With DragonBox, we want to change that and help kids believe in themselves and their own abilities.”

DragonBox is designed for iPads and Adroid tablets, but also works well on iPhones and Android phones. A special version is available for Mac computers. DragonBox costs $5.99 for the tablet version and $2.99 for the phone version. Download it from the App Store or Google Play.